Venetian blind



Dec. 18, 1951 B. WALKER VENETIAN BLIND Filed Jan. 12, 1948 Patented Dec. 18, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE VENETIAN BLIND Brooks Walker, Piedmont, Calif.

Application January 12, 1948, Serial No. 1,720

' Claims. 1

This invention pertains to a Venetian blind construction in which the slats are removable for easy cleaning, repairing, or other use, and the tapes are removable for washing, cleaning, or replacement, either without the removal of the lifting cord or after the lifting cord has been removed. Another feature of the invention is to provide less friction on the lifting cord by providing a much Wider pulley in the head rail so that when the tilt rail is tilted the lifting cord or tape can move relatively vertically without having a tendency t lock which is true in the conventional narrow head rail pulley construction. Another feature of the invention is a construction whereby loops that are formed in the end of the ladder tapes are readily attached to and detached from the tilt rail and wherein a loop can be formed from the two sides of the ladder tape to support the bottom rail and to be readily slidable off from the bottom rail when it is desired to remove the ladder tape for cleaning. A further object of the invention is to provide a means for mounting the ladder tape relative to the tilt rail so as to provide a minimum of friction between the collapsing cord or tape and the ladder tape and tilt rail when in the horizontal or tilted positions. Another object of the invention is to provide a means for the ready detachment of the lift cord or tape from the bottom rail without adversely affecting the attachment of the two sides of the ladder tape to each other. A further object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the lift cords may be detachably secured to ladder rungs located on one side of the lift cord by variou means, so that the ladder tape will be held securely in position relative to the lifting cord when the blind is collapsed to prevent the spilling out of the slats on the one side away from the lifting cords when off set lifting cords are used similar to the construction shown in the applicants issued United States Patent No. 2,200,349. Other objects of the invention will be more clearly pointed out in the amended specifications and claims. 7

This invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly cut away, showing a portion of a blind involving some forms of the invention.

Figure 2 i an end view, partly cut away, showing the bottom rail and next slat of the construction shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation view, taken near the edge of the side member of the ladder tape showing the location of the cross rungs, lift cord, and attachment thereto.

Figure l is a side view, partly cut away, showing a portion of the bottom rail and attachment or notch for securing the lift cord detachably thereto.

In all figures, like numerals of reference refer In Figures 1 through 4 inclusive, I have shown a portion of a Venetian blind construction in which a head rail l is of the conventional sort with the usual cord locks and supports for tilt rail attached thereto. A pulley 8 is of a much wider than standard construction, preferably being at least as wide in the cord running portion of the pulley a half of the width of the tilt rail 20. The pulley 8 runs on pivot 9 mounted in the head rail 1. Tilt rail 20 has mounted thereon a type of rotatable clip 39 adapted to engage loop ends Illa and I lib in the side members of the to corresponding parts in the various drawings.

ladder tape it. These loops Illa and lflb are preferably formed by returning the sides of the ladder tape and suitably securing the ladder tape to itself by clips, staples, sewing, adhesive, or other suitable means of attaching. The rotatable clip 39 is preferably formed with a bent portion adjacent to the lifting cord or lifting tape 28. This bent portion form a free passage between the tilt rail 20 and the ladder tape side member Illa through which the lifting cord 28 may pass. If desired the tilt rail 20 may also be notched to facilitate free movement of the lift cord in the two positions of tilt of the tilt rail 20. A clip or stop 40 is preferably press fitted into a tight hole in the tilt rail 20 with one end 46a turned back to form a hooked engagement with the end Sta of the rotatable clip 39. The opposite end of the stop 4|] protrudes beyond the far side of the tilt rail 20 to form a positive stop for the rear portion 39b of the rotatable clip which engages the rear loop Illb of the ladder tape it in the side member of the ladder tape. The distance between the pivot "on the spring or rotatable clip 39 and the stop 40 or hooked end 49a should preferably be just a little bit more than the width of the ladder rung so as to present a neat appearance. A similar construction turned the other side up so that the spring clip will be pulled against the stop from underneath when supporting the bottom rail, may be used at the bottom of the blind in order to provide a detachable ladder tape, or the construction as shown may be used wherein the two side members of the ladder tape H) are secured together at Ifib as by member [3 which may be sewing, staples, clips, adhesive, or any other suitable means of attaching the two side members together but not securing the same to the bottom rail 40 in the conventional manner as by staples or tacks. A bottom rail 40 has preferably formed therein a drilled or routed recess 45b adapted to receive a knotted portion 28a of the lifting cord which then comes out through the slot 40a which fit snugly on the sides of the lifting cord 28 so that it can be forced out of the slot manually but will not readily drop out of the slot 49a. By this construction it is possible to lift the knot 28a out of the'recess 48b and the cord out of notch 40a so that the lift cord is free of the bottom rail 40. The bottom rail 40 is then free of the lift cord a ing ,cord 28 rides freely.

blind is as follows: When the blind is completely assembled as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the tilt rail'20 is tilted in the conventional manner and the slats are collapsed by cords 28 in a manner similar to that shown in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,200,349 wherein one lifting cord is the side members of the ladder tapes.

3 and the ladder tape I!) may be slid off of the bottom rail with the pocket formed by the cross rung H nearest the bottom of the ladder rungs and the bottom loop of the two sides of the ladder tape secured at lllb forming the socket into which the bottom rail d9 fits. When in ordinary operation, the lift cord being in place retains the ladder tape in the proper position through the ,use of various detachable rings such as are shown in Figure 1 and more particularly Figure 3. These clips are formed by a main body portion55 which engages the cross rung H of the ladder tape and has a hooked member 55a adapted to form a snap engagement with the ring 50 through which lift- The operation of the located at each side of the slats and adjacent to Wide pulley 8 in the head rail operates so as to provide freely through rings 50 and pull on the bottom rail to lift the same in a horizontal position.

" When it is desired t remove the slats for cleaning or other purposes they may be slide out of the blind in the conventional manner, if the blind is inside hung by merely swinging the blind away from the edges of the window frame so the slats can be slid out or if they are retained as by edge notches as shown in the Feeney Patent No.

' 2,194,277 they can be turned up on edge and slid out or any other suitable means can be used for retaining the slats such as tongues as shown in my United States Patent No. 2,311,716. Snaps or any other suitable form of retention of the slats may be employed within the scope of this invention. The tapes are readily removed by first lifting the knotted end 2811 out of the recess 4% in the bottom rail and sliding the ladder tape off of the end ofthe bottom rail 48. Loops 50 which secure the lifting cord or tape to the ladder rungs H by the clip 55 and spring clip end 55a are detached for ready removal of the ladder tape up tothe top rail. At the top rail the'ladder tape is readily removed by forcing the end 30a slightly towards the tilt rail. 20 to release it from engageoffof the rotating clip 30.

ment with the inturned end @011 of the stop 40 and then raising it to a position where the ends la and 10b of the ladder tape may be freely slid lhe ladder tape may then be washed, replaced, repaired and again placed back on the blind by a reverse operation.

In a fairly similar manner, if it happens that the --tapes are badly worn or need replacement, new

tapes may be slid on over the end of the blind with the old tapes in place and then the old tapes f disengaged fromthe rotatable clip and the new tapes put on and the old tapes cut off the blind so that dismounting of the blind for this operation is not necessary. Marking at the ladder tapesfor exact replacement as shown may be desirable to maintain the same folding. I do not --wishin any way to limit myself to the exact details-or-modeof operation set forth in this speci- 'fication and drawings, for it will be obvious that In lifting or collapswide departure may be made in the way of details without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention which is set forth in the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination a Venetian blind having Venetian blind slats and a flexible ladder tape for supporting said slats in spaced relationship, said ladder tape having cross rungs, a lifting cord passingnear the edge of said slats and adjacent to cross members of said ladder tape on which said slats are supported and detachable means for slidably securing said lifting cord to said cross rungs at variou points throughout the length of the ladder'tape, said detachable means including a slip ring on said lifting cord and a clip carried by said cross rung detachably engaging said ring, all said cross rungs being located on one side only of said lifting cord.

2. In a Venetian blind having blind slats, a flexible ladder tape for supporting said slats in spaced relationship and having cross rungs and a lift cord passing between one tape of the ladder and the edges of the slats, a separable fastener comprising a ring which encircles the lift cord and a hook which i attached to the cross rung at one end and hooks into the ring at the other end for holding the lift cord in position when the Venetian blind is in use and which can be unhooked when the ladder tape is removed for cleaning.

3. In a Venetian blind having slats and a flexible laddertape for supporting said slats in spaced relationship, said ladder tape having cross rungs, a lifting cord passing between the edge of said slats and one of the tapes of the ladder and adjacent to cross rungs thereof and separable fasteners comprising a hook and ring for slidably securing said lifting cord to said cross rungs at various points throughout the length of the ladder tape.

4. In a Venetian blind having slats, a slat spacing ladder tape and cross rungs, said cross rungs being on one side of said ladder tape, a flexible I lifting element passing near the edge of said slats and on one side of said cross rungs, and detachable hook and ring means, the hook being secured to the cross rung and the ring surrounding the lifting element for securing the two together, said detachable hook and ring means being spaced at various points throughout the length of said ladder tape.

. 5. In a Venetian blind having blind slats, a flexible. ladder tape having cross rungs for supporting said slats in spaced relationship and a lift cord passing between one tape of the ladder and the edges of the slats, a hook slidably attached to a cross rung for adjustment thereon, and a loop loosely positioned around said lift cord and detachably engaged by said hook for holding the lift cord in position.

BROOKS WALKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'in'the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,071,791 Hendricks Feb. 23, 1937 2,103,394 Wade Dec. 28, 1937 2,192,617 North Mar.'5,.1940 2,307,278 Krantz Jan. 5; 1943 2,480,993 Adler Sept-6,1949 

